Mental Health Needs in Hong Kong

Mental health refers to an individual’s emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Many factors affect one’s mental health. The main factors include biological factors and social environment. The absence of a mental illness does not guarantee sound mental health.

Mental Illness in Hong Kong

Recent statistics by mindhk show that 61% of adults in Hong Kong are suffering from poor mental health. That is more than half of the population of the most hard-working country in the world.

There are a lot of external factors contributing to this number, but the most prevalent would be work-related stress and stigma toward mental health illnesses. Although counselling services in Hong Kong like Everyday Empathy has made been online, almost 75% of people suffering from a form of mental health difficulties do not reach out for professional help.

Major Events that Affected Mental Health in HongKong

Recent major events that caused a major impact on Hong Kong’s population’s overall mental health are the political and social unrest at the beginning of 2020 and the following worldwide pandemic outbreak. 

These major events have different natures but both cause great stress to citizens regardless of age. Individuals and institutions tried hard to cope with these unfortunate events but it’s only natural to struggle along the way. Even after overcoming these difficult times, it’s expected that emotional after-effects, no matter how subtle, will remain for at least a decade.

Institutional Intervention

Five years ago, it was estimated that for every 20,000 residents possibly suffering from mental health issues, there is only one psychiatrist available. This ratio has improved since then, especially with the growing cases and the detrimental effects it has on society as a whole.

There have been government initiatives for years but it does cannot solve the problem at hand alone. Formal and informal organizations had started to launch various unpaid and paid services to aid in overcoming this obstacle. 

What Needs to Be Done

Review Work Conditions. Since current factors have a great impact on the dominant working population, it’s only natural to look into improving the work culture for the worker’s well-being. Surveys have been conducted to better understand the working class’ sentiments and a recent survey shows that adopting a 4-days work week is a viable solution.

Continue and Support Government Efforts. Programs have been coordinated well between different government institutions. Free professional interventions are being offered to alleviate mental concerns. So far, there have been new target achievements set for government agencies in aiding their citizens towards good mental health. They just have to maintain this direction and pace towards their goal.

Remove the Stigma. People need to be more open in studying and understanding the factors and nature of mental illnesses. Professional counselling centres have been more accessible now because of technology. The people of Hong Kong as well as neighboring countries need to understand that one becomes a part of the problem when they hinder the possibility of finding a solution to the problem. 

Difficult But Not Impossible

Achieving each of these goals is difficult by itself, but difficult does not mean impossible. Hong Kong is known for its “can do” spirit. Along with economic growth, I am looking forward to the country’s triumph over this crisis. 

For more information, visit:founders mental health